August 2007

In the years since the U.S. Supreme Court’s now-infamous decision in Kelo v. City of New London, 44 states have passed new laws aimed at curbing the abuse of eminent domain for private use.

Given that significant reform on most issues takes years to accomplish, the horrible state of most eminent domain laws, and that the defenders of eminent domain abuse—cities, developers and planners—have flexed their considerable political muscle to preserve the status quo, this is a remarkable and historic response to the most reviled Supreme Court decision of our time.

Of course, more work remains to be done, in both state legislatures and Congress, to protect homes, businesses, churches, and farms. Indeed, because some states have not passed reforms, and because many reforms are incomplete, it is important to take a step back and evaluate the work that has been done and is left to do. Some states have passed model reforms that can serve as an example for others. Some states enacted nominal reform—possibly because of haste, oversight, or compromise—and need to know what is left to fix. And finally, there are those states that have failed to act altogether, leaving home, farm, and business owners threatened by Kelo-type takings and beyond.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review|July 8, 2007

Press Releases

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Alabama home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Alabama has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Arkansas home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Arkansas created a commission to study the use of eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Alaska home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Alaska as done little to protect property owners across the…

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Arlington, Va.—Arizona home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Arizona has passed some of the strongest legislation in the nation…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Connecticut home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain in Connecticut, the state’s General Assembly failed to pass any…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—California home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, California’s legislature seriously considered no meaningful reform and the state’s…

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Arlington, Va.—Colorado home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Colorado made moderate improvements to the state’s “public use” requirements,…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Delaware home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Delaware made only minor changes to a few procedural aspects…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Florida home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Florida has passed some of the strongest legislation in the nation…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Georgia home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Georgia has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Hawaii home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Hawaii failed to pass any eminent domain reforms. “Hawaii homeowners…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Idaho home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Idaho has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Illinois home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Illinois has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Kansas home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Kansas has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Kentucky home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Kentucky has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Louisiana home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Louisiana has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Massachusetts home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Massachusetts failed to pass eminent domain reforms. “Massachusetts homeowners are…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Maryland home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Maryland has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Maine home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Maine has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Michigan home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Michigan has passed some of the strongest legislation in the nation…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Minnesota home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Minnesota has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Missouri home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Missouri has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Mississippi home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Mississippi failed to pass eminent domain reform. “Mississippi homeowners are…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Montana home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Montana has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—North Carolina home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, North Carolina has progress towards protecting property owners from…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—North Dakota home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, North Dakota has passed some of the strongest legislation in…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Nebraska home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Nebraska has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—New Hampshire home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, New Hampshire has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—New Mexico home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, New Mexico has passed some of the strongest legislation in…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—New York home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, New York failed to pass eminent domain reform. “New…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Ohio home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Ohio’s legislature as done little to protect property owners across…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Oklahoma home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Oklahoma failed to pass eminent domain reform. “Oklahoma homeowners are…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Oregon home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Oregon has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.— Rhode Island home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Rhode Island failed to pass eminent domain reform.…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—South Carolina home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, South Carolina has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—South Dakota home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, South Dakota has passed some of the strongest legislation in…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Tennessee home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Tennessee has done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Texas home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Texas failed to address bogus “blight” declarations in the state,…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Virginia home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Virginia has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Vermont home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Vermont as done little to protect property owners across the…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Washington home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Washington made moderate improvements to the state’s eminent domain laws,…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—According to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today, in the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Wisconsin has passed some legislation to protect homeowners from eminent domain abuse, but much more work needs to be done. The…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—West Virginia home and small business owners have reason to be concerned according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, West Virginia made moderate improvements to the state’s blight…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—Wyoming home and small business owners have reason to celebrate according to a 50-state eminent domain report card released today. In the two years since the infamous Kelo eminent domain ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that allowed eminent domain for private gain, Wyoming has passed strong legislation protecting small property owners from eminent…

Press Release

Arlington, Va.—If your home is important to you—and whose home isn’t—you should read a report card released today that grades eminent domain reform legislation in all 50 states in the past two years. The report was released by the Castle Coalition, a grassroots project of the Institute for Justice, which argued the Kelo eminent domain…